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April 2015
TRANSITIONS Newsletter
Santa Barbara County Chapter,
California Dressage Society
Co-Chairs’ Message
by Suzanne Galsterer and Karen Christensen
The year got off to a great start for our chapter, with an enthusiastic new board and lots of plans for the coming year. Your cochairs, Suzanne and Karen, attended the CDS Annual Meeting and
Symposium at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center at the end of January, representing our Santa Barbara County chapter. It was Suzanne’s first time attending the annual meeting, and she very much
enjoyed it. Both of us benefited from the roundtable discussions
where we shared ideas with other chapters in our region, as they
provided many ideas for our own chapter. The presentations by the
executive board introduced us to the CDS main office staff and gave
good insight as to the functioning of the organization. Especially enjoyable was just getting to know many other CDS chapter chairs,
whom we might never have had a chance to meet otherwise. Lindsey
Reed’s excellent editing and writing skills won our chapter the best
newsletter award and a much appreciated check for $500. And our
chapter basket brought in $500 to CDs, of which $200 came back to
our chapter. Thanks to Francesca Sheld and all who contributed to
the basket.
Thanks to the efforts of Francesca
Sheld, our stunning chapter basket was
selected to be part of the live auction at
the CDS annual meeting awards dinner, earning $500 for our GMO.
The Sunday symposium is summarized well in Lindsey’s article (see p. 6). We enjoyed the symposium and learned very valuable training and riding tools, exercises, and judges’ perspectives. It was delightful to see lovely horses and riders perform some of the new tests and then improve specific test
movements through training exercises that offered great take-home lessons for all riders. It was also interesting to see how the tests continue to be refined and improved over the years. They are so much
more than just show tests; they are learning tools that introduce the movements in a logical, progressive
way. As such, they are useful to all riders at home or with their trainers, regardless of whether they intend to show.
Our new board has shown lots of initiative, super energy, and amazing organization skills. As
your co-chairs, we are so excited about how many people have volunteered to help on various committees. We have a new website, new guidelines for sponsorship (and some great new sponsors, too!), and
an education committee that is busy exploring clinics and educational events that can engage and support our large and diverse membership. (continued on page 2)
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New Rules Announced for Chapter Year-End Awards
To be eligible for SBC-CDS Year-End Awards, each horse and rider combination must submit scores as
shown below:
Schooling Awards (Intro and Training Levels Only):
One score from one of the 2015 SBC-CDS rated shows (May at Earl Warren or August at High Star) and
one score from any other show, rated or schooling, held between November 1, 2014 and October 31,
2015.
Awards for this category are open to Junior and Amateur competitors only. One award will be given for
each level (Intro, Training).
Recognized Awards (Intro Level through Grand Prix):
One score from one of the 2015 SBC-CDS rated shows (May at Earl Warren or August at High Star) and
one score from any other rated show held between November 1, 2014 and October 31, 2015.
Awards for this category are open to all competitors. Awards will be given for each level and will be
awarded in the following divisions: Junior (21 and under), Amateur, Open, and Vintage (over 65).
General rules:
A rider and horse combination cannot win both Schooling and Recognized Awards.
The average of the two scores will be used to determine a rider’s standing at any given level.
Rider and horse combinations may compete for Year-End Awards in up to two levels, but they must be
adjoining—for example training and first, or second and third, but not first and third.
Please submit scans of your tests to [email protected] by November 1, 2015, to allow for determination of
winners before our Annual Meeting later in November.
Co-Chairs’ Message—continued from page 1
Our first scheduled event, a tour of Alamo Pintado Equine Hospital, also offers a social opportunity — a
delicious lunch at Terravant Winery Restaurant. Join us on June 6 for this exciting event.
Nancy Sheld has signed on as our new Show Committee Chair. We are so grateful to have her on
board and we have already done a lot of work preparing for our two shows. We miss Nicole ChastainPrice’s presence on this committee, but she showed us the way during her years of service. Thank you,
Nicole, for taking the time to do this difficult but rewarding job.
The board has made a few minor changes to the chapter’s standing rules, intended to bring the description of board positions up to date and to clarify eligibility requirements for participating in the chapter’s
drawing for the CDS Adult Amateur Clinic. The new standing rules can be found at the SB-CDS website:
http://sb-cds.org/sb-county-cds-2015-standing-rules. In addition, the board has refined the requirements for our Annual Year-End Awards, adding special Schooling Awards at the Intro and Training levels. See details in the article directly above.
As we write this, we are headed to Las Vegas for the World Cup. We are so excited to be able to
see the best dressage horses in the world so close to home. We are especially proud that our own Charlotte Bredahl will be performing a pas de deux with Jan Ebeling. As always when Charlotte rides, it will
be a great show!
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Educational Event
Alamo Pintado Tour
Set for June 6
The CDS-SB Education
Committee invites all chapter members to a tour of
Alamo Pintado Equine Hospital on Saturday, June 6 at
10:30 a.m. This 90-minute
tour will take us behind the
scenes at one of the most
prestigious equine facilities
in the U.S.
Afterwards, we'll head to
Buellton for a fabulous
lunch at Terravant Winery
Restaurant. The food is excellent, and there's wine tasting too.
RSVPs for the tour and for lunch are required. To RSVP, please contact Marianne by May 10 at [email protected] with your name, contact information, and the number in your party. No cost for the
tour; lunch is Dutch treat. You are welcome to come just for the lunch if you cannot make the tour, but
you must respond by May 10 if you wish to be seated at the chapter table. Hope to see you there!
Dick and Marilyn Mazess and Marabella Stables
are happy to be Gold Sponsors
for the Santa Barbara County
Chapter of CDS for the up and
coming show season.
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Adult Amateur Clinic Reports
Two members of the Santa Barbara County Chapter of CDS attended the Adult Amateur Clinic with
Volker Brommann at Golden Hills Farm in Paso Robles on March 27-29. Maraka MacDonald won the drawing to be sponsored by the chapter, and she took her horse Truman (AKA Cognito), so that they could work
on moving up from second level to third.
Jessica Brown’s name was third to be drawn out of the hat for this clinic, so she only qualified to be a
backup in case Maraka and the second drawn rider could not go. Not willing to take that chance, Jessica
took advantage of a special provision for riders to pay their own clinic fees to fill any vacant slots. She took
her training level mare Wildfire.
Thanks to Maraka and Jessica, who provided the articles below about their experiences at this year’s
Adult Amateur Clinic.
Maraka MacDonald and Truman
The Adult Amateur Clinic for 2015 was held in Paso Robles at the lovely Golden Hills Farm. I attended with my 10-year-old gelding Truman (AKA Cognito), thanks to the support of the Santa Barbara
County Chapter.
Many riders were at a similar place in their riding as I am with Truman, working on the transition
from second level to third level. This made the auditing portions of the clinic very helpful, as I was able
to watch other riders doing some of the same exercises that Volker had me do. Volker had a great range
of tools and examples, and if something didn’t work for a horse and rider pair, he would move on to another exercise to try and accomplish the goal. He was an engaging and humorous clinician, good at making riders feel at ease but not afraid to get after someone if it was needed.
General takeaways:
Confirm your aids in a gait where things are working, then go
to the problem gait. (This echoes what I’ve heard from other
clinicians like Debbie McDonald — fix issues at the walk, for
example, then move on to faster gaits)
Use turn on forehand as a way to improve the connection to
the hind legs, while preventing the horse from “running away”
in front. This helps create lightness and reactivate hind legs.
This exercise was used with all levels of riders.
Think less! Keep things simple! One analogy Volker gave was,
“Don’t think about where your coffee was grown, how it was
roasted, who ground it, how it was brewed. Just drink it!” He
really worked with all the riders to get us out of our heads
and into the moment.
Maraka McDonald and Truman with 2015 CDS
Adult Amateur Clinician Volker Brommann
Only stay in any movement for a few strides when schooling
— this will “improve your success rate.” He talked about how
the horse will remember six bad strides and three good
strides equally, so by trying to do less but with higher quality,
you are helping the horse to learn what’s correct.
Don’t use your inside rein for roundness; it blocks the inside
hind leg.
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Give a clear aid, then be quiet, then remind again — instead of constant correction.
In the counter-canter, use your leading hip to sustain the gait.
In the walk, keep the gait active: focus on a quality gait.
Specific to the second/third level transition:
Use the travers to engage the hind leg and assist in changes.
It’s not the flying changes that the horse is anxious about; it’s the moment after.
Make sure when going to ask for a change that the neck is as straight as possible, so the horse does
not have to jump against the new hind leg.
Practicing the change between travers and shoulder in is a way to prepare physically and mentally
for flying changes, while at the trot.
Practice gradually shrinking circles at the canter with lots of half-halts to keep lightness. This
strengthens the outside hind leg for flying changes.
Volker used this exercise with all the riders who were preparing for flying changes: Ride a 20
meter canter circle at one end of the arena, then come across the short diagonal. As you approach E
or B, do a slight leg yield, followed by a travers at B or E for a stride or two. Ask for the change at the
next letter, either a simple change through walk or trot, or when the horse is ready, a flying change.
This exercise was very effective and brought everyone closer to their changes, including us!
Useful to me personally, Volker mentioned that Truman is ready for a double bridle. The group of
auditors asked how you know when a horse can be started in the double, and Volker’s answer was
that the horse must be straight first. Volker spoke some more at the end of the clinic about straightness, asking whether a horse could be straight while on a 10m circle (yes!). He demonstrated that
this means the left fore-left hind and right fore-right hind follow each other in parallel tracks. If the
haunches are stiff, you will not have straightness through curves.
This was one of the best clinics I’ve ridden in, and I encourage everyone to ride with Volker if
they get a chance. His teaching was effective and helped create visible improvements in every horse
and rider pair there, from those at training level to those schooling fourth.
Maraka would like to thank Stacey Voigt for her help with this article.
Jessica Brown and Wildfire
“Do you know the apple trick?" I didn’t, but the apple trick was
the first of many helpful suggestions I got while attending the recent
AAC. Paso Robles was setting record temperatures that weekend during our winter heat wave. I was concerned my horse was dehydrated
after the two hours in the trailer. The delightful adult amateur stabled
next to us on the beautiful rolling estate of the Gilmores was a veterinarian as well. She suggested putting slices of apple in my horse’s water, so that when she " bobbed" for the apples, she would drink the
water. It worked like a charm.
After relaxing in one of the many turnout areas, we were
ready to get to work. There was excellent footing on the track that
surrounded the covered dressage arena. Volker was able to see the
riders as we warmed up, so in addition to the excellent training he
Jessica Brown and Wildfire with
Volker Bromann
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Adult Amateur Clinic Reports — continued from page 5
gave us in the arena, he made comments on our warm-up technique as well.
Wildfire, my partner in crime, is an extremely sensitive and intelligent horse. Because I used to ride
hunters, I tend to ride with less contact. When I ask her for contact, I tend to lose the impulsion instead
of riding into the contact. Volker had me canter in hunter two-point to get off her back, and reward any
response of forward with a rub on the neck. After it looked as if she understood, he had me canter again
in two-point in a small circle to get her back on her hocks and then ask for a transition down to a extended trot. It felt fabulous, as if I was taking off on a jet. The whole weekend was amazing!
CDS Annual Meeting and Symposium
by Lindsey Reed
CDS rang the New Year in with its annual meeting and symposium at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center
on January 31-February 1, 2015. Our chapter co-chairs, Karen Christensen and Suzanne Galsterer, spent
Saturday representing our chapter by participating in annual reports to members, chapter chair meetings, presentations of regional summaries, and discussions of member programs. Our bountiful and
beautiful chapter basket, created by board member Francesca Sheld, was selected to be one of the live
auction baskets, a special honor that garnered $500 for CDS, 40% of which ($200) came back to our
own chapter. Our chapter was further honored by receiving the “best newsletter” award, along with a
check for $500.
Our co-chairs were joined on Sunday by a committed group of members who drove south to take advantage of one of CDS’s best educational opportunities: its annual symposium. The focus of the symposium was the newly released 2015 tests. International judges Lilo Fore (USA) and Judy Harvey (Great Britain) had worked with demonstration riders on their tests individually on Saturday, and on Sunday the
riders performed their tests, with live scoring and comments by the judges, followed by focused work on
aspects of the tests that still needed work.
Lilo Fore began the day by explaining how important it is for riders to consider the new tests their
friends, as they were designed to help them move up the levels sequentially and correctly. But as I
learned at the symposium, not only are the tests your friends; judges are your friends as well. Good
friends. Even internationally rated FEI judges like Lilo Fore and Judy Harvey, people who had helped design new tests in their home countries. Hearing them score the demo riders’ tests out loud, I could immediately see how much they wanted the riders to succeed. In the symposium format, Lilo and Judy
could communicate what is sometimes left out when judges dictate scores and comments to scribes —
their sincere desire to help riders establish a correct foundation and overcome obstacles to progress.
Over and over, we’d hear them make supportive, sympathetic comments, even at times when things did
not go well. If a movement just didn’t happen, their words revealed “we’ve been there” understanding
that for any horse and rider team, things don’t always go as planned. They seemed to know how it feels
when riders receive one of those dreaded “insufficient” scores that can mar an otherwise respectable
test. Or, when a movement was strongly ridden overall but with one slight problem, we’d hear a compassionate but fair comment like “good quality of gaits, and nice transition, but unfortunately a few moments of tension today at the end of the movement, and we have to recognize that, so a 6.5.” Then, after
the test was over, as they worked with each rider on movements that could have been just a little better,
we saw Lilo and Judy’s commitment to making improvement happen.
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Some auditors were disappointed that several levels were not represented, especially training level,
which is critical to all riders new to dressage or bringing new horses up the training scale; and the ever
so important 3rd level, the successful completion of which brings the USDF Bronze Medal and catapults
the horse-rider team into the much more advanced fourth level, with the possibility of attaining Prix St.
George and possibly the USDF Silver Medal. But for this auditor, anyway, the day was full of helpful lessons. Here are a few of the most memorable:
Read the directives carefully. They have changed a lot to clarify exactly what the judges are looking
for.
When trying to figure out what level to show, remember that if you think you can ride a test at 70% at
home, at a show you’ll probably get 65%. Don’t show a level if you don’t have confidence that you can.
Going out of the show ring with a low score will not build your confidence or your horse’s.
If a horse is very forward, allow him time to find himself and find his rhythm. Only then should you
ask for expression.
Ride all down transitions as if they were up transitions. You don’t want to land your airplane nose
first. Keep the nose in air until the wheels are on the ground. No crash landings!
Think “allow the bend,” rather than “make the horse bend.”
In stretchy circle, don’t lean forward. The horse stretches forward and down, not the rider. If you lean
forward, your seat bones are up, and you lose the effect of your legs. The rider must be on both seat
bones, riding with both legs.
Collection does not mean less energy. Keep the volume!
Collection means more articulation, more expression — smaller distance, but not less gait.
The artistic side of a freestyle can only enhance the technical side. Don’t design a freestyle that you
cannot manage. Don’t include too many movements; don’t crowd your test. Be sure your horse is capable of balancing between movements. No matter what happens, you never want to “chase the music.” Speeding up a movement in order to keep up with the music can compromise the quality of the
gaits and also the integrity of the movement itself.
Chapter Newsletter Wins CDS Award
In a surprise ceremony during lunch break at the CDS
Symposium in Los Angeles in February 1, Peggy Klump
presented SB-CDS newsletter editor Lindsey Reed with a
check in the amount of $500, which she accepted on behalf
of the chapter in recognition of the newsletter’s annual
“best newsletter” award. The board hopes to use the prize
money to fund a similar symposium on the new tests to be
held for its own chapter members, based on the format of
the LAEC symposium, which featured internationally rated
judges Lilo Fore of the United States and Judy Harvey of
Great Britain.
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Providing quality care to the horses of Santa Barbara.
Bruce Kuesis, DVM
Equine Wellness Care
Sports Medicine
Internal Medicine
Santa Barbara, California
805-696-6784 - [email protected]
CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!
Our Spring Dressage Show at Earl Warren is just around the corner on May 16/17 and as
usual, we need …
Scribes, Ring Stewards, Scorers, Runners, helping hands for setup and teardown, and
planners, shoppers and hostesses for the welcome party.
If you aren’t competing, this is your chance to support the chapter while getting your dressage fix. If you ARE a competitor, we can help you pay back the chapter for supporting your
goals by working around your scheduled ride times.
Shifts will be easy-does-it—Friday p.m., Saturday a.m. and p.m., and Sunday a.m. and p.m.—
and volunteering at a show counts toward fulfillment of the chapter’s new requirements for
members who want to apply for a chapter educational grant or enter their name in the
drawing for the 2016 CDS Central Region Adult Amateur Clinic.
To volunteer, contact Kip Goldreyer at <[email protected]> or 805-728-4121, and do it
early. Desirable time slots get snapped up fast!
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CDS Thanks Its 2015 Sponsors
We Could Not Do It Without You!
Gold Level ($500-$999):
Mission Equine Associates, Dr. Bruce Kuesis
Dick and Marilyn Mazess and Marabella Stables
Silver Level ($201-$499):
San Marcos Equine, Dr. David Jensen, DVM
Jedlicka’s
Bronze Level ($100-$200):
Maraka's Equine Massage, Maraka MacDonald
Cynthia Riley
Donor's Club:
Louise Caccese
Karen Christensen
Suzanne Galsterer
Rincon Vista Stables
Liz Gilman
Style Stock, Hannah Childs
Bob Saunders, DVM
Cowgirls Don’t Cry
Mrs. Pasture’s Horse Cookies
9
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Spring Dressage in Santa Barbara Kicks Off
SBC-CDS Show Season May 15-16
Our first show of 2015, Spring Dressage in Santa Barbara, is less
than a month away. This four-star show, approved by USEF,
USDF, CDS, and DASC, is also approved for points by the AQHA.
Like Us on Facebook!
Check out our new Website!
The show premium is available through the chapter website and
Facebook page. Entries must be postmarked by May 2, so get
your forms filled out now!
Like us on Facebook to be the
first to know about chapter
and other local shows and
clinics, share your own photos and lesson take-a-ways
with our community, and access posts about our sport
and keeping our partners fit
and happy. Find us at facebook.com/sbdressage
We are especially grateful to Nancy Sheld, who has taken on the
job of show manager. She will be trained by Ellen Corob of the
San Luis Obispo chapter, who has helped out with our shows in
the past. We are also grateful to Jessica Brown, who has loaned a
laptop to our chapter for use during our shows.
As always, we need volunteers. Kip Goldreyer is the volunteer coordinator for this show. See her article, below, on what kind of
help is needed, and be sure to sign up.
Finally, don't forget to attend our reception, held Friday afternoon outside the show office after most horses have settled in.
Even if you aren’t riding, swing by Earl Warren and show your
support of the competitors and mingle with fellow chapter members. CDS Plates and Rosettes will also be distributed at this
event, so come on out and help your fellow members celebrate
their success. It’s sure to be a very good time.
We have also recently updated our website. Visit us at
http://www.sb-cds.org
Our Chapter Needs a
Trailer!
Our chapter is looking for a
fully enclosed trailer, a minimum of ten feet long, suitable for storing our dressage
courts. If you know of one
that is not being used or that
might be for sale, please
contact Liz Gilman at
[email protected]
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CDS Adult Amateur Clinic Participation Rules Revised
The board has updated the chapter’s requirements for participation in the CDS Adult Amateur Clinic.
In the future, members wishing to participate in a chapter drawing for the CDS Adult Amateur Clinic
must meet the following criteria:
Applicant eligibility: Applicant must be a current junior or amateur member of SB-CDS at the time of
the drawing.
Applicant must be an active member who has demonstrated recent support of the chapter with volunteer work, sponsorship, hosting of a chapter social or educational event, etc. If volunteer work is sole
criterion, applicants must have completed a minimum of 5 hours of volunteering.
The applicant must have leased or owned the horse to be ridden at the clinic for at least two months
prior to the clinic. Rider and horse must be able to competently perform the movements required at
training level.
Any member who has been the chapter’s representative to the Amateur Clinic must wait at least a year
before re-applying for the drawing. This restriction does not prevent the individual from making direct, private application to the clinic organizer for an unused clinic slot or, if such a slot is obtained,
from entering the chapter drawing the next year.
The drawing will be held at the chapter’s annual meeting.
Applicant shall submit his or her name at the chapter’s annual meeting, and must be present to win the
drawing.
The names of one attendee and three alternates will be drawn.
Attendee agrees to write an account of his or her clinic experience for publication in the next edition of
the chapter newsletter following the clinic.
Applicant agrees to write a thank-you note to CDS immediately upon completion of the clinic.
Applicant agrees that as a participant in the clinic and a representative of SB-CDS, he or she is to be
courteous and receptive to the clinician’s
teaching and training methods. Respect for
the clinician is also demonstrated by proper turnout while riding and by attendance
while the clinician is teaching other riders.
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Member News
Connections
A large contingent of our chapter
members attended the CDS Symposium on Sunday, February 1 at
the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, where FEI judges Lilo Fore
and Judy Harvey presented the
new 2015 tests with an impressive lineup of demonstration riders, including our own Charlotte
Bredahl, riding Chanel at 4th level. Auditors included our cochairs, Karen Christensen and
Suzanne Galsterer (who also
represented the chapter at the
meeting Friday and Saturday);
board members Mary Ann Evans,
Liz Gilman, and Lindsey Reed;
and members Jessica Brown, Nicole Chastain-Price, Mary
Couch, Robin Cudahy, Kip
Goldreyer, and Diane Welcenbach.
Many chapter members headed south for the CDS Symposium at the LA Equestrian Center. Left to right: Nicole Chastain-Price, Mary Ann Evans, Liz Gilman, Karen Christensen, Mary Couch, and demo rider Charlotte Bredahl.
Those we weren’t able to round up for this photo op included Robin Cudahy,
Suzanne Galsterer, Kip Goldreyer, Lindsey Reed, and Diane Welcenbach.
As this newsletter was going to
press, many of our members
were heading for the Dressage
World Cup in Las Vegas, among
them Charlotte Bredahl, who
will be a demo rider doing a pas
de deux with Jan Ebeling, cochairs Karen Christensen and
Suzanne Galsterer, Mary Couch,
Robin Cudahy, Barbara Cleveland, Gina Funderburgh, Catherine Gallegos, Liz Gilman,
Laura Langford, Lindsey Reed,
Cindy Riley, Nancy and FrancesCharlotte Dujardin and Valegro receive their championship award at last
ca Sheld, and Karla Zuehlke. If you atweek’s World Cup in Las Vegas
tended but are not on this list, please
send a few lines to [email protected] about your experiences there so we can include them in this
column next time.
Several SB-CDS members were spotted participating in the Santa Ynez Valley Hounds’ Poker Ride
recently. A beautifully mown trail allowed riders to progress through the lovely Los Alamos countryside at their own speed, picking up hunt-themed “poker” cards at a variety of stations, where they got
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extra cards for familiarity with obscure hunt vocabulary and the conformation of hounds. A favorite stop
was the “Chevron” station, where riders had to dismount, lead their horse behind a tree, and count to
ten (the usual time it takes for a pitstop!) before remounting. The stations also dispensed mimosas
(virgin or otherwise), tastes of artisanal beer, and fresh spring water. Seen enjoying a beautiful spring
day on the trail were Barbara Cleveland, Cindy Young, and Lindsey Reed. After the ride, everyone sat
at long tables under the oaks for delicious tacos al
pastor. Participants had received raffle tickets as
part of their entry, and Barbara Cleveland really
made a haul: her two winning tickets yielded five
bottles of wine!
Liz Gilman heard in late December that there was
a schoolmaster available for lease in Santa Ynez.
Her mare Wishfull was still recovering from an injury, so the thought of a “been there, done that”
horse was really exciting. Giovanni is around 17
years old and Liz doesn’t know his breed. He’s
about 16.3 and chestnut with a big blaze and 3
socks. What is important to Liz is his willingness
and personality — he loves attention. Liz explains,
“He's been so patient with me, not having ridden
for 8 months. I enjoy every ride!”
Laura Langford’s horse, Charlie, is recovering
from a tendon injury sustained in February. We all
send healing wishes and hope for a speedy recovery. Charlie is turning 22 this month and has been
with Laura for 4 years. He's a thoroughbred who
raced. They competed at local hunter shows until
about a year and a half ago, when Laura began
training with
Louise Caccese.
Dressage has been
Laura and Charlie at their first dressage schooling
a fun challenge
show, summer 2014.
which they both
enjoy. They ride Training Level and hope to do First Level this year.
Charlie is coming along nicely but, as Laura says, it's all about patience!
Cindy Young recently tied the knot with her longtime sweetheart
and musician extraordinaire David Sears at an “oh, by the way” celebration at David’s annual St. Patrick’s Day party. A group of chapter
members were there to join in the celebration. Congratulations to
our dear friend, chapter treasurer, and newsletter designer and layout artist, and to her wonderful hubby, who has provided such delicious food for our social events over the years. Here’s to you both!
To see your news (or your horse’s) here, be sure to send updates (and
photos) to [email protected]
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SB-CDS Calendar, 2015
May 16-17, Spring Dressage in Santa Barbara, Earl Warren Showgrounds
USEF * USDS * CDS * DASC Approved.
Judge: Jan Curtis “S”
June 6, Tour of Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center, 10:30, with lunch to follow at Terravant,
Buellton. Please contact Marianne at [email protected] with your name, contact information, and the number in your party.
August 15-16, Summer Dressage in the Valley, High Star Farm, Los Alamos
USEF*USDF*CDS*DASC Approved
Judge: Hilda Gurney FEI "I"
November (date TBA), CDS-SB Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony.
Check our website, sb-cds.org, for up-to-date information on board meetings, which are open
to all chapter members, and other chapter events.
Non-CDS Events:
May 2, 8 am – 3 pm, Equine Expo
Rancho Santa Barbara, 4000 Highway 154, Santa Barbara, CA 93105.
Benefits the Santa Ynez Valley Therapeutic Riding Program.
Clinicians include Charlotte Bredah-Baker, Ramon Becera, Sandy Collier, Agapito de la Cruz,
Lisa Teske, and Wendy Wergeles.
Contact: [email protected]
June 12-14, Jose Manuel Correia Lopes, Working Equitation Clinic, Santa Ynez.
Contact: [email protected]
June 28, Mission Equine Associates Dressage Schooling Show Championship
Modoc Riding Arena
Contact: [email protected]
P a g e
Words for Thought
The period of collection, in which the entire horse
has to become shorter and more compact, comes
last. It is self-evident that one can only compact
something that is soft, and as soon as any hardness
appears, it has to be eliminated first. Here is where
the most mistakes are made. The entire equestrian
world tends to try to collect horses too soon and
too much, which upsets the entire training, of
course, which may have been correct up to this
point. Balance and self carriage are naturally lost
again in the process.
—Otto v. Monteton, 1899
Santa Barbara County Chapter CDS
Board of Directors, 2015
Co-chairs: Karen Christensen ([email protected]); Suzanne Galsterer ([email protected])
Secretary: Mary Ann Evans ([email protected])
Treasurer: Cindy Young ([email protected])
Webmaster: Stacey Voigt ([email protected])
Facebook: Francesca Sheld ([email protected])
Horse Show Committee: Nancy Sheld, Chair ([email protected]), Suzanne Galsterer
([email protected]), Liz Gilman ([email protected]), and Karen Christensen ([email protected])
Education Committee: Marianne Kruidenier, Chair ([email protected]), Lindsey Reed
([email protected]), and Stacey Voigt ([email protected])
Sponsorship Committee: Marianne Kruidenier ([email protected]) and Francesca Sheld
([email protected])
Newsletter Editor: Lindsey Reed ([email protected])
Social Committee: TBD
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